Attachment means for hopper boxes



March 7 1950 J. P. FOSTER ATTACHMENT MEANS FORHOPPER BOXES Filed Nov. '7, 1946 Zhwentor (Ittorneg Patented Mar. 7, 1950 ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR HQPPER BOX John P. Foster, North Jackson, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Miller Spreader Corporation, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 7, 1946, Serial No. 708,236

2 Claims. -(Cl. 280-33.44)

This invention relates to hopper boxes and more particularly to an improved means for attaching a hopper box to a truck or other machine.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an improved mechanism for operat ing attachment means on a hopper box.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a hopper box having ground engaging wheels normally supporting a portion of its weight by means of axles and attachment means positioned inthe said axles and connectedand actuated by handles forming axial extensions on the line of the said axles.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means for remotely actuating hook-s positioned for engagement with a supporting object.

The attachment means for hopper boxes shown and described herein has been designed to form a simple and more eflicient mechanism as used with hopper boxes and particularly in attaching and detaching the same from operative engagement with supporting structures on a trucker similar vehicle. It is known that hopper boxes have been devised for the spreading of various paving materials; bituminous, asphaltic and the like as Well as gravel, slag and other base. materials, and that these hopper boxes, such as that disclosed in the patent to William J. Miller, No. 2,403,820, issued July 9, 1946, are supported and moved in use by detachable engagement with a truck.

In the above mentioned patent, crank actuated means is disclosed for moving dual hook assemblies into and out of operative relationship with a bracket formed on a truck axle. The present invention relates to an improvement in this construction whereby the hopper box and its wheel supporting axle construction is modified to include means for actuating the dual hooks comprising the attachment means.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective elevation with parts broken away and parts in cross section showing a hopper box with the improved attachment means.

Figure 2 is atop plan view of a portion ofa hopper box with parts broken away and illustrating it in connection with a bracket formedon an axle of a truck, portions of which are broken away.

Figure'B is an enlarged detailed view of one of the dual. hook assemblies illustrated inFigures 1 and 2 and shows the same in closed position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed view of one of the dual hook assemblies illustrated in Figures]. and 2 and shows the same in open position.

By referring to the drawings and Figures '1 and 2 in particular it will be seen that a hopper box has been disclosed which comprises a hopper [0, the end plates of which are indicated by the numerals H. The hopperbox Iii tormsmeans for receiving paving materials as from'a truck and distributing them uniformly as in a paving or re-paving operation, and it includesa screed pivoted as at Hi to floating frame members M. The floating frame members I4 passth-rough-tum nels positioned across the interior of the hopper box 10 and extend therebeyond and lie within a pair of inverted U-shaped frame members 15. The floating frame members M are pivoted'as at Hinear the-forward ends of the frame'members 15.

Cross pieces ll join the inverted U-shaped frame members l5 and form an integral structure with the hopper l0. Tubular members 18 are affixed in spaced relationship beneath the frame members l5 and H and are affixed thereto as by welding and carry arms [9 reciprocally mounted therein. The foremost ends of the arms l9 are bifurcated and attached to hooks 20 as by means of pivots 2 l The hooks 20 are positioned within a pair of spaced V-shaped guides 22 and an inclined cam face 23 serves to space the guides 22 and form means for elevating the hooks 20 when the rods l9 move the hooks 2!) into the area between the guides 22. drawings, enlarged detailed views of this action may be seen, it being observed in Figure 3 that the hook 29 has been moved into position between the guides 22 so that it forms a connection about an attachment bracket A, In Figure 4 of the drawings the hook 20 is shown in open relation, it having been moved outwardly of the space between the guides 20 as by movement of the arm 19 to which it is pivoted.

In order that reciprocal movement may be imparted to the arms [9 for operating the hooks 20, the opposite ends of the arms are provided with curved extensions 24 threadably engaging By referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the" numeral 32. .by the truck axle 3! is indicated by the tend out of the tubular axles 28 beyond the side plates 1 I of the hopper box. Thus, movement imparted to either one of the handles 30 rotates the rods 2'! attached thereto and hence imparts reciprocating movement to the arms I9 thereby causing the hooks 20 to move into or out of the guides 22, depending upon the direction of motion imparted to the handles 30. It will thus be seen that each of the dual hooks 20 is operated by its corresponding handle 30 and further that the operating mechanism is disposed well beneath the hopper box It] and thereby protected from foreign material which might otherwise interfere with its efficient operation.

In Figure 2 of the drawings a truck axle is a: indicated by the numeral 3| and it will be observed that the attachment bracket A has been aflixed thereto as by welding a bracket portion thereof directly to the axle 3| and by welding the other end of the attachment bracket A to the differential casing in the center of the truck axle. The differential casing is indicated by the A ground engaging wheel carried numeral 33.

It will thus be seen that attachment means for a hopper box has been disclosed which is of simple and efiicient construction and which,

claim is:

1. In a hopper box including a main frame, tubular frame extensions positioned on said main frame, bifurcated V-shaped guides formed on the forward ends of the said tubular frame extensions, arms positioned in the said tubular frame extensions for reciprocal movement, and hooks pivotally affixed to the outer ends of the said arms and lying between the bifurcated V-shaped guides, hollow axles disposed beneath said hopper box at right angles to said tubular frame extensions, rods disposed in said hollow axles and levers secured to the said rods and pivotally connected to the said arms, and handles affixed to the said rods for imparting partial rotating movement thereto whereby the said arms are moved lonigtudinally of the said tubular frame extensions and the said hooks are moved with respect to the bifurcated V-shaped guides.

2. In a hopper box, means for detachably connecting the said hopper box to a supporting object, said means comprising at least one longitudinally extending frame member aifixed to the said hopper box, an arm reciprocally mounted in said tubular frame member, a guide member formed on the foremost end of the said tubular frame member and comprising spaced V-shaped plates, and an inclined cam member positioned between the said V-shaped plates, a hook pivotally afilxed to the said arm and engaging the said cam member, a transverse shaft on said hopper box having a handle on one end and a crank on the other end, the said crank pivotally engaging the said arm whereby partial rotating movement imparted to the said shaft by the said handle moves the said crank and imparts longitudinal movement to the said arm and the said hook and thereby moves the said hook with respect to the said cam member into and out of the said guide member.

JOHN P. FOSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 738,953 Stoekle Sept. 15, 1903 2,107,312 Thompson Feb. 8, 1938 2,255,525 Kline et a1 Sept. 9, 1941 2,309,086 Arndt Jan. 26, 1943 2,403,820 Miller July 9, 1946 

